Even before the U.S. entered World War II, jobs became more available as the nation began building its defenses. By 1941, the company was working almost exclusively on government-funded projects across the United States. Rust Engineering's skill in building large plants made it ideal for the jobs, which included the construction of navy shipyards, machine shop and assembly buildings, shell forging and machining plants, and ordnance plants. Some projects, such as a Naval Ordnance Plant in Canton, Ohio, employed hundreds of employees and operated on 24-hour shifts. The company was particularly proud of this plant, which was completed ahead of schedule and contained what one worker called "the prettiest machine shop I ever saw."

To complete this work, Rust had to navigate the many restrictions and regulations on the use of raw materials, and a significant amount of correspondence is dedicated to dealing with rationing boards and securing salaries for workers. Private work did continue, and Rust built boiler houses, blast furnaces, and stove foundations for steel mills.

Most wartime work was overseen by S.M. Rust, Jr., who was vice-president at the time. S.M. Rust, Sr. did not retire from the presidency until 1945, when he became Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Rust Engineering's opportunities for jobs only rose after the war, as it repaired overworked machinery and converted now-obsolete war factories into peacetime enterprises. As the nation entered the Space Age, the company also worked on nuclear energy projects and structures for NASA.

The files taper off and end by 1949. It is possible that records from the 1950s went on to Litton Industries, which purchased Rust in 1967. Some information about Rust's activities during the 1950s and beyond can be found in Series VIII.

Subseries 1.Correspondence

Scope and Content Notes:

Records from the 1940s are made up almost entirely of Day Files, consisting of copies of outgoing correspondence written by S.M. Rust, Jr., and interoffice files containing both incoming and outgoing mail. There are no job files and few subject files, but despite the limitations a great deal of information about company activity can be found in the correspondence. The interoffice files are much more extensive than earlier, possibly because of better record keeping techniques, but more likely because the offices had to work together constantly to keep up with government projects; many letters were sent between branch offices every day, often by airmail, as Rust coordinated numerous jobs around the country.

Box 46

Folder

1

General Correspondence, 1940

Folder

02-04

S.M. Rust, Jr. Day File, January-December, 1940

Folder

05-06

S.M. Rust and S.M. Rust, Jr. Day File, January-October, 1940

Folder

7

S.M. Rust and S.M. Rust, Jr. Correspondence, January-December, 1940

Folder

8

Daily reports from Pittsburgh Office to S.M. Rust, 1940

Folder

9

S.M. Rust, Jr., personal, 1940

Box 47

Folder

1

Interoffice correspondence, 1940

Folder

02-04

Birmingham Office correspondence, January-December, 1940

Folder

5

Los Angeles Office correspondence, 1940

Folder

6

New York Office correspondence, 1940

Folder

07-08

Washington, D.C. Office correspondence, October-December, 1940

Folder

9

Windsor Office correspondence, 1940

Box 48

Folder

1

General correspondence, 1941

Folder

02-04

S.M. Rust and S.M. Rust, Jr. Day File, January-December, 1941

Folder

5

Daily reports from Pittsburgh Office to SMR, 1941

Folder

6

Daily Reports from SMR, Jr. to SMR, 1941

Folder

07-09

Birmingham Office correspondence, January-March, 1941

Box 49

Folder

01-08

Birmingham Office correspondence, April-November, 1941

Box 50

Folder

1

Birmingham Office correspondence, December, 1941

Folder

02-03

Chicago Office correspondence, 1941

Folder

4

Los Angeles Office correspondence, 1941

Folder

5

Montreal Office correspondence, 1941

Folder

06-07

New York Office correspondence, 1941

Folder

08-09

Washington, D.C. Office correspondence, January-June, 1941

Box 51

Folder

01-02

Washington, D.C. Office correspondence, July-December, 1941

Folder

3

General correspondence, 1942

Folder

04-06

W.B. Gillies correspondence, 1942

Folder

7

S.M. Rust personal correspondence, 1942

Folder

08-09

S.M. Rust, Jr. and Day File, First-Second Quarter, 1942

Box 52

Folder

1

S.M. Rust, Jr. and Day File, Third Quarter, 1942

Folder

02-04

Interoffice correspondence, January-December, 1942

Folder

05-07

Birmingham Office correspondence, January-March, 1942

Box 53

Folder

1

Birmingham Office correspondence,April-September, 1942

Box 54

Folder

01-03

Birmingham Office correspondence, October-December, 1942

Folder

4

Los Angeles Office correspondence, 1942

Folder

5

New York Office correspondence, 1942

Folder

6

Philadelphia Office correspondence, 1942

Folder

07-08

Washington, D.C. Office correspondence, January-February, 1942

Box 55

Folder

01-05

Washington, D.C. Office correspondence, March-April, 1942

Folder

2

Washington, D.C. Office correspondence, May-December, 1942

Folder

6

General correspondence, 1943

Folder

07-09

S.M. Rust, Jr. Day File, First-Third Quarter, 1943

Box 56

Folder

1

S.M. Rust, Jr. Day File, Fourth Quarter, 1943

Folder

2

Interoffice, First Quarter, 1943

Folder

03-04

Interoffice, Third-Fourth Quarter, 1943

Folder

05-09

Birmingham Office correspondence, January, 1943

Box 57

Folder

01-07

Birmingham Office correspondence, June-December, 1943

Folder

8

Los Angeles Office correspondence, 1943

Folder

9

New York Office correspondence, 1943

Box 58

Folder

01-02

Washington, D.C. Office correspondence, 1943

Folder

03-04

General correspondence, 1944

Folder

5

S.M. Rust, Jr. correspondence, 1944

Folder

06-08

S.M. Rust, Jr. Day File, Second-Fourth Quarter, 1944

Folder

9

S.M. Rust, Jr. correspondence, 1944

Folder

10

General correspondence, 1945

Folder

11-13

S.M. Rust Day File, January-September, 1945

Box 59

Folder

1

S.M. Rust Day File, October-December, 1945

Folder

2

S.M. Rust General Correspondence, 1946

Folder

03-06

S.M. Rust Day File, First-Fourth Quarter, 1946

Folder

7

S.M. Rust Interoffice, 1946

Folder

8

Interoffice, 1946

Folder

09-10

S.M. Rust Day File, January-December, 1947

Folder

11

S.M. Rust, Jr. personal file, 1947

Box 60

Folder

1

General Correspondence, 1948

Folder

02-03

S.M. Rust Day File, January-December, 1948

Folder

4

Birmingham Office correspondence, 1948

Folder

05-06

S.M. Rust Day File, January-December, 1949

Folder

7

S.M. Rust Personal File, 1949

Folder

8

S.M. Rust, Jr. personal file, 1949

Folder

9

S.M. Rust personal correspondence, 1950-1953

Subseries 2.Subject Files

Folder

10

Salary raises and financial information, 1940-1942

Folder

11-12

Contracts, 1940-1942

Box 61

Folder

1

Board of Directors and Stockholders Meeting minutes, 1940

Folder

2

Daily reports from H.J. Bawser to S.M. Rust, April-May, 1940

Folder

3

Job application by prisoner Walker Buckner, 1940

Folder

4

Salary Records, 1940-1942

Folder

5

Completed questionnaire on construction practices for Associated General Contractors of America, 1941